Mastery in any activity is revealed when the doer makes the action seem effortless. I have seen mastery revealed in many areas of human activity – in the kitchen, on the sports field, in the theater, in the classroom – and the signature qualities of one who has mastered his art are grace and poise.

In addition to grace and poise, mastery of the spoken and written word is characterized by brevity. “Brevity,” as Shakespeare said so wisely, “…is the soul of wit.” It is the ability to say exactly what you are seeking to convey in the least amount of words. Why is this important? American writer Wilson Follett hit the nail on the head when he wrote: “Whenever we can make 25 words do the work of 50, we halve the area in which looseness and disorganization can flourish.”

Brevity as an end spawns curtness, whereas brevity as a means to an end mitigates chaos. Only an ordered consciousness can deliver succinctness without error. If consciousness is disorderly, if your thoughts are unformed or mixed, then it’s hard to be brief. Have you ever tried to write a letter when your heart or mind was troubled? It can be quite a challenge!

Let this week be a week of practice. Refining your writing and your speaking is more about organizing consciousness than it is about improving your tool set, for the size of your tool chest will naturally and organically increase as you use what is already in there wisely, efficiently and accurately.

How do you organize consciousness? There are many ways. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Listen to music. The patterns and associations of musical notes can have a tremendous impact on the clarity of your mind.
2. Enjoy the silence. Silence can be another way to bring order out of chaos. Many have noted the power of meditation, prayer, and other modes of quiet consideration.
3. Ask for help. Ask someone to review your writing with an eye for ways to simplify and condense while maintaining the essence of what you are seeking to convey. As Robert Heinlein said, “The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.”
4. Think before you speak. Sounds simple, but the failure to do so can result in a rambling phrase that does nothing but give evidence of a rambling mind.
5. Be more considerate of others’ time. Time is a precious commodity and circumlocution reduces productivity more than any other cause.
6. Learn from the masters. Many people are accomplished in the art of brevity. Experts come in many shapes and sizes, some were educated by others, while many were self-taught. Whatever road they took to get there, listen carefully, appreciate their skill and share what you’ve learned with those in your world.
7. Resist the temptation to use a long word when a diminutive one is available. Mark Twain explained: “I never write metropolis for seven cents when I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman when I can get the same money for cop.”

Have a wonderful week, my friends!